


You Miss 100% Of The Shots You Don't Take

by Anannua



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Best Friends, Bromance, Cousin Incest, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut, No Underage Sex, Secret Crush, Teacher-Student Relationship, Uchihacest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24023749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anannua/pseuds/Anannua
Summary: Obito and Kakashi confess their feelings, to each other, about other people.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi/Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Obito/Uchiha Shisui
Comments: 8
Kudos: 174





	You Miss 100% Of The Shots You Don't Take

**Author's Note:**

> Written For Rare Pair Week 2020
> 
> Obito/Shisui, Kakashi/Minato
> 
> Obito and Kakashi confess their feelings, to each other, about other people.

Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Obito have a long-standing tradition of fucking with each other in public. But they also have one another’s backs when the cards are down, to the point that everyone knows that messing with Hatake will get you in trouble with the Uchihas, specifically Uchiha Obito, and vice versa.

They are totally Best Bros for Life.

And best friends get special best friend privileges.

“That’s actually not how it works,” Kakashi says exasperatedly, even though he’s following Obito up the long climb to the top of the Great Stone Faces that watch over Konoha. “There’s no privileges.”

Obito just smirks and swings himself up higher, climbing with one hand behind his back.

“C’mon, slow poke! What kind of genius can’t even keep up? You’re even using two hands, c’mon! Let’s go already!”

Kakashi squints as dust falls from above where Obito is actively beating him.

He tucks his dominant hand behind his back and swings himself up to follow.

They reach the top at the same time. Obito throws himself down with a whoop, pleased and exhausted. Kakashi hums thoughtfully and flings a water bottle at his teammate’s face. Obito snags it out of the air last-second, right before it smacks him in the face, and complains noisily even as they relax together.

They’re all alone up here. Kakashi finishes his water and caps the bottle, and waits for Obito to break the silence.

It doesn’t take long.

“So. _Sensei_ , huh? Guess he’s pretty hot.”

Kakashi grimaces a little.

“This again?”

“This again,” Obito says firmly. “I wanna talk about it.”

The silver-haired jounin groans. 

“Are we really going to do this?”

“Yeah, you insecure fucker, buckle up and tell me how you _really_ fuckin’ feel!”

Kakashi sort of stares for a moment. The last time they talked about his feelings there had been a semi-mutual agreement to _never speak of it ever again_.

He wonders what happened for Obito to have changed his mind.

“What… brought this on?”

“He kissed me.”

Black eyes blink for a minute. Obito doesn’t laugh, and Kakashi realizes it isn’t a joke.

“He?”

“My cousin.”

There’s a wary look, now, like Obito is trying very hard not to show that he’s worried how Kakashi will react. Incest is a pretty serious taboo in most cultures, religions, etc, but the silver-haired teenager just blinks owlishly from behind his spiky silver locks.

“Obito you have a billion cousins,” Kakashi says eventually, “Which one?”

“Oh. Oh, right. I don’t know if you’ve met, but his name is… uh. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Kakashi gives his best friend a long look.

“Sensei is ten years older than me,” he says blandly, apropos of nothing. “I’m not going to judge you for liking your cousin if you don’t judge me.”

Black eyes blink.

“Uh… okay. Cool. Wow. Is he really…”

Kakashi doesn’t want to talk about how he feels about their teacher, and interrupts.

“Obito? Who kissed you?”

There’s a little twitch. The corner of Obito’s mouth pulls back, just the tiniest bit, just a hair. And his eyes soften.

And, Kakashi observes with no small amount of wonder, his entire blustery angry demeanor just… _melts_.

“His name is Shisui.”

He might be in love.

“Don’t think I’ve seen him,” Kakashi mumbles, “Too many Uchiha. Tell me more about him?”

Obito’s face brightens. There’s no disgust, no rejection. He can tell Kakashi anything.

“Okay. Well, uh, he’s kind of a brat, but he’s also kind of amazing, because he’s got this thing, with the flash-step down, you should see him…”

 _You should see yourself, when you talk about him,_ Kakashi thinks, watching Obito come to life with a warm gaze. His friend looks so different from his usual sulky, surly self when he talks about this person. His cousin, whoever, it’s someone that makes him look so happy.

 _That’s pretty rare,_ Kakashi thinks, and nods along to Obito’s rambling.

“…hair, and honestly, I’ve never seen him without Itachi following right behind him—you remember Itachi, at least? I think they’re like us.”

“In love with other people?”

“No, you asshat, best friends.”

“Guy will fight you for that title.”

“Guy can suck my ass, I was your best friend way before him. Who knows you best?”

“Minato-sensei,” Kakashi deadpans. “Obito you’ve forgotten my birthday two years in a row.”

“I made up for it!”

“Getting me flowers I’m allergic to is not ‘ _making up for it’_.”

Obito flails a little.

“Look! When you _absolutely_ had to tell somebody about how you felt about Sensei, who did you turn to? Huh? Not Mr. Megaphone for a Mouth Mighty Guy!”

“Shh,” Kakashi hisses, “Shut up, you’re one to talk! Be quiet!”

Obito gestures vaguely at their current location.

“We. Are. Alone! For like five miles at least! With your stupid good hearing we’d totally catch anyone sneaking up on us, so what’s the problem?”

“It’s… look, he doesn’t know, and I don’t want to tell him—“

Obito's eyes widen in disbelief.

“Wait, wait. What! Why not?”

“Obito, I’m _ten years younger than him_ ,” Kakashi says very seriously, “More than that, he’s the _Yondaime Hokage_. I’m just another jounin, just another one of the soldiers under his command. What interest could a guy like him have in someone like me? It’s a useless crush. That’s all.”

For once, Obito doesn’t banter back right away. The sudden contemplative silence takes Kakashi off guard. When he turns, Obito is wearing a thoughtful look and considering his teammate with a warm gaze.

“I don’t think love is useless.”

Somehow, Kakashi feels his heart leap into his throat.

“It’s a just crush,” he says, a little more raspy than planned, “Obito. I don’t—“

“It’s alright. Kakashi, whatever you feel for him isn’t wrong.”

The support and love Obito is just offering, blatant and openly, makes his breath catch.

For once Kakashi has nothing snarky to say.

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Obito reaches out with a hand. Kakashi doesn’t look down but ends up taking it anyway.

“I think I really like him. Shisui. He’s… a good kid.”

“He’s not that much younger than you.”

Obito's nose scrunches cynically.

“Oh, like that’s my biggest issue. He’s my _cousin_.”

“Technically, that isn’t even an issue,” Kakashi mutters, “It isn’t like the two of you are planning to repopulate Konoha, so why is it a bad thing?”

Obito scratches the back of his head.

“I guess it just seems wrong from a moral standpoint? I feel a little bad, sometimes, thinking about how we’re related… but, Kakashi, I just feel… _happy_ , when he’s around. Y’know?”

Kakashi thinks of how he can almost forget the death of his father with the way Sensei smiles.

“Yeah... I get that.”

“Does it make me a bad person for liking him? He’s still just a kid. I don’t think we could be something right now, but…”

“But you want to think about it?” Kakashi prompts cautiously. “When he’s older?”

“I don’t know.”

Obito sounds scared. Kakashi turns, to give him his full attention. The older boy is close to crying, face pink with emotion, torn up on the inside so much that it’s showing on the outside. “Kakashi, I like him, and it’s not like I don’t get that it’s wrong, but I like him anyway. He makes everything easier. It feels good, when he’s around, and I don’t want to do anything to hurt him but it just feels like if I can’t have him then nothing good will ever happen again.”

Kakashi nods. He is intimately familiar with that exact sensation.

“What do I even say?”

“To Shisui?”

“He kissed me,” Obito whimpers, “He kissed me and I kissed him back, but then Itachi walked in on us and I fucking bolted like a spooked cat.”

Kakashi turns the problem over in his mind.

“You don’t usually let little things like other people’s opinion of you get in your way.”

Obito makes a frustrated sound.

“That’s with me! This isn’t about me, it’s about _Shisui_ , who’s like the clan poster child for perfect Uchiha prodigy! And I’m the clan poster child for embarrassing fuck up that shouldn’t exist! No one’s gonna give us their blessings for messing around together, or, I don’t know, something like an actual relationship! I’ll get kicked out of the clan for corrupting him!”

“They can’t kick you out of the clan.”

“They really can,” Obito mumbles, “They can and it’ll be awful, and I already don’t have a family, and then I’ll be _no one_.”

Kakashi tilts his head to one side.

“Would Shisui still like you, even if you weren’t an Uchiha?”

Obito looks up with a disbelieving expression.

“Huh?”

“Would he still like you, even if you weren’t an Uchiha?”

“How could I possibly be anything other than an Uchiha?”

“Sensei’s always talking about having a family,” Kakashi says mildly, “Adoption into a ninja clan isn’t that rare.”

Obito gapes at him.

Kakashi tries not to squirm.

“You think Sensei would adopt me?”

“I think you should consider Shisui’s feelings,” Kakashi says instead of answering, “Stop making this about yourself. If he likes you, and you like him, who cares what anyone else thinks?”

“That’s pretty selfish, coming from you,” Obito snaps, “Mister 'I’m-totally-in-love-with-Sensei-but-refuse-to-talk-about-it-to-anyone-or-admit-it-to-myself'!”

Kakashi’s eyes dart down to the ground.

“It isn’t love, Obito. It’s just a crush. I’ll get over it.”

“Yeah? When? After the sun stops rising and the moon goes dark? Dude, I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention to yourself, but you’ve been making eyes at him since the day we got put on his team. It’s not just a crush.”

“It’s a useless emotion.”

“Kakashi,” Obito says tightly, “Love. Isn’t. Useless.”

“What good is it to me,” Kakashi says back, low and vulnerable, “when there’s no chance he’ll love me back?”

Obito shakes his head, and reaches out to take Kakahsi’s other hand. The silver-haired teenager doesn’t try to twist out of his grip. He just looks up, and Obito reads the heartache in his eyes.

“Kakashi, what’s the point of bottling this all up inside? Why haven’t you said anything before?”

“Talking about it is pointless,” Kakashi mumbles, not meeting Obito’s worried gaze, “Noting will change. Sensei would never want…”

“ _Kakashi_ ,” Obito says, shaking his head, “Kakashi, _you’re amazing_. I know I call you dumb but that’s just me. Literally everybody else in the village says you’re a genius! You’re an incredible ninja, and there’s no way someone as smart and clever as Sensei hasn’t seen that already.”

“There’s no room in his life for someone like me,” Kakashi mumbles.

“This isn’t like you,” Obito insists, “Why are you giving up before you’ve even tried?”

There’s a long pause, longer than Obito expected, and he feels a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“…have you… _did_ you try?”

Kakashi holds on to his answer for a while, but Obito is determined, and prepared to wait. Eventually the silver-haired boy huffs in annoyed fondness, and mutters his reply.

“We were alone, and I asked him if there was someone in his heart. He said yes. So there’s no room for me, you see?”

Obito shakes his head.

“Kakashi _what if he meant you?_ ”

There’s a twitch by Kakashi’s eye, and he turns with a scowl in his eyes.

“It’s not like he’s stupid,” Kakashi bites out bitterly, “Obviously if it were me, he would have told me! It was the perfect time. But he just smiled that stupid smile. It’s someone else.”

Obito stares.

“I think, for a genius, you’re pretty dumb sometimes.”

“Obito. It’s. Not. Me. Sensei’s the Yondaime Hokage, a Konoha jounin, the Yellow Flash—I’m just—me. What could I…” He stops and shakes his head. Obito marvels at the amazing amount of self-deprecation Kakashi is capable of. “I don’t need to be with him. It’s fine. It’s enough, just to be near him.”

Obito looks at him in awe.

“Are you really okay with spending the rest of your life lying to yourself like that?”

Kakashi looks back and the expression is so raw, so rare that Obito feels his own heart squeeze painfully in his chest.

“What else can I do, Obito?”

It’s the closest he’s ever come to seeing Kakashi cry.

“Maybe you can follow your own advice?”

“What’s that,” Kakashi mumbles.

“Don’t make this about yourself. You think you know the answer but you haven’t asked properly. You could at least try and know for sure, instead of guessing and being wrong and missing out.”

“I already know what would happen. He’s say no.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Kakashi goes to speak, but Obito speaks over him adamantly, “No, hear me out, you prick! What if, _what if,_ this one time you’re wrong about this? What if you talk to him and ask him who’s in his heart, to hear him say it? Wouldn’t that be better than wondering forever?”

“What if he says someone else,” Kakashi croaks. “What if…”

“What if he says it’s you,” Obito hisses, eyes blazing. “ _Kakashi_!”

His hope is infectious.

Kakashi’s damp eyes widen fractionally, and he shakes his head in disbelief.

“You’re unbelievable,” he mutters, but Obito can tell from the tone of his voice that he’s struck a chord with his stubborn best friend, “Alright. I’ll ask him. But you have to talk to Shisui.”

Obito gulps, audibly.

“But… but, what do I even say?”

“I don’t know,” Kakashi mutters back, “What should I say to Sensei?”

The two boys spend a few minutes lost in their thoughts, before Obito has a brilliant idea.

“Tell you what. I’ll tell you what you should say to Sensei, and you tell me what I should say to Shisui.”

Kakashi stares at him without speaking. It goes on long enough for Obito to begin doubting himself, before Kakashi breaks the silence.

“That may be the smartest thing you’ve ever said in your life.”

“Hey, thanks—HEY, WAIT!”

Kakashi dodges Obito’s headbutt and shoves him back down testily.

“Brainstorm, _genius_. Sit down and think with me for a second.”

“Yeah? Yeah, fine,” Obito agrees, upset and delighted at once, and they bend their heads in thought.

+

Eventually Obito figures out what he thinks Kakashi should say, and looks over, to find his best friend waiting on him.

He offers a cheeky grin.

“You go first, then, if you’re so fast, Mr. Genius.”

They exchange ideas and make a pact to try them out.

Obito drags them both to their feet with a nervous grin.

“No day like today,” he says, Kakashi’s only warning before they disappear in a _Shunshin_ that takes them right to Sensei’s office.

“Wait, _right now_?” He hisses, scrambling to dig in his heels, but Obito’s already flung open the door and then Sensei is all he can see. Minato at his desk has the _Haori_ folded over the back of his chair, and his blue eyes seem to twinkle with laughter as he greets his students.

“Why, Kakashi, Obito, how rare to see the two of you not fighting! What’s the special occasion?”

Kakashi is too busy trying to get his balance back after Obito nearly knocked the both of them over, so he can’t stop the other boy from blurting out, “We’re doing a thing together, Kakashi has something he wants to tell you, _bye_!”

There’s another swirl of leaves, and then Kakashi has to re-balance himself as Obito’s weight goes out from under his shoulder.

Minato stifles a laugh as the normally graceful jounin stumbles upright.

“At ease, soldier,” he says with a kind smile and a knowing look in his eyes.

Kakashi blinks and stands up straighter despite himself. This is it.

+

Across town, Obito lands on his own two feet and darts through the Uchiha district to find his cousin. Specifically, Itachi, because no one else knows exactly where Shisui goes whenever he isn’t bugging the hell out of his younger cousin. Fugaku’s eldest son is sitting with tiny Sasuke, watching like a silent bird of prey with a precocious smile. He’s extraordinarily fond of his younger brother and over-protective, too, so Obito announces himself noisily and skids to a halt as Itachi glances up to glare.

“Hey! Seen Shisui?”

“I have.”

“I wanted to talk to him. Is he around?”

“He is.”

“Well, where is he?”

Itachi doesn’t reply. Confused, Obito repeats himself. “Can you tell me where I can find him?”

“I shouldn’t say. You’ll only hurt him more.”

Obito gapes. Then he remembers how he’d left Shisui, after the kiss, and winces. Itachi is fiercely protective of Sasuke, his brother by blood, but he’s also protective of Shisui, his very best friend. His gaze is arctic-cold when Obito meets it. A shiver runs down his spine and he swallows his nerves.

“Itachi, I want to apologize to him. When we… uhhh, when we were together, I….” Obito pauses, uncertain of how to explain his situation to his younger cousin. Itachi solves his dilemma neatly, and unexpectedly.

“You hurt his heart.”

“Yes,” Obito admits, “Itachi, I want to fix that.”

The younger Uchiha tilts his head like a bird.

“How do I know you won’t make it worse?”

Obito winces.

“…I don’t know. I already hurt him once, but… I don’t want that again. I really like Shisui, Itachi. I want to make up with him, to see if I can fix things. Maybe I’ll hurt his feelings a little more along the way, but isn’t it better I try to fix things, than not to try and leave things the way they are?”

Itachi gives him a faintly annoyed look.

“That sentence was a disaster.”

“I’m sorry,” Obito grumbles, flushed and embarrassed at being scolded for his lack of eloquence.

The younger Uchiha appraises him cooly for a few more minutes. Obito really starts to lose hope when Itachi says nothing. Then, at last, Itachi turns away completely, to look after Sasuke, and nods very subtly in the direction of Shisui’s grandparents house.

“ _Thank you_ ,” Obito says in a rush, and takes off running.

His heart is pounding in his ears. He can sense Shisui’s chakra from afar. Hoping he’s not too late to fix things, Obito barrels in and finds his cousin.

The younger Uchiha looks up with wide eyes.

Obito looks back, panting from running, and can’t think of a single goddamn thing to say.

All Kakashi’s advice goes out the window. Obito stands there like an idiot, panting in the doorway, staring straight at Shisui for what feels like way too long.

There’s an awkward little sound to break the silence.

Shisui’s eyes dart down, then up, and he gives up a hopeful look.

“You came back.”

Obito feels relief flood him from the top down.

“Yeah. Yeah, I was always gonna come back. Can I come in?”

“You’re kinda already in,” Shisui observes, glancing at the place his cousin is, right in the doorway, “but yeah. Granny isn’t home. It’s just me.”

“That’s good. It’s fine. I like it when it’s just the two of us.”

The younger man turns away, but Obito knows he saw the hint of pink peaking across his cousin’s face.

“Hey. Shisui? Can we talk?”

Shisui freezes in place.

Obito hurries to continue, “Nothing bad! I just wanna talk about what happened.”

“About…” Shisui starts, and can’t finish. Obito walks over to where the younger man is standing stock-still, and guides him over to the couch. Together they sit side by side. Shisui is a nervous wreck. He’s an amazing shinobi but right now, beside his cousin who he clearly has a crush on, his nerves drive him to fidget. Obito can almost hear the sound of his heart thumping wildly in his throat as he tries to settle himself.

It’s adorable.

He can’t help reaching out to cup Shisui’s cheek with a hand.

“Hey. It’s just us.”

“Yeah.”

“Something bugging you?”

Shisui shakes his head, but doesn’t dislodge Obito’s hand. He leans into the palm against his face and his eyes flutter shut momentarily. It says everything Obito wants to hear, and he feels his heart swell. He’s got time to get this right.

“Pretty bold, aren’t you?”

“I know what I want,” Shisui murmurs, lips pressing lightly into Obito’s palm, eyes opening to lock on his target. “I’m an Uchiha.”

“As am I,” Obito says back silkily, watching his younger cousin with a very intense look. “I hope you really _really_ know that. You gotta be sure…”

“I am,” Shisui cuts in, quickly, sitting up at the way Obito is watching him, eyes widening, “I am, Obito. I like you. I really, really like you.”

Obito takes a slow breath in.

“Shisui. I like you, too—“

He doesn’t get much further, because Shisui squeals, like he’s seven and not fourteen, and tackles Obito back into the couch. The older boy goes with a grunt as Shisui flattens him under a hug, squirming to get right up on top of Obito’s chest. His eyes seem to sparkle as he claims a spot for himself on his cousin’s prone body.

Obito blinks up at the younger boy with a groan.

“Ohhh, my head… Shisui, what…”

“Can we kiss again?”

Obito reaches up with both hands to stop Shisui, who is leaning down and looking at him very intensely.

“Kiddo, we gotta talk about stuff, before we just roll into this! Slow down for a sec and let me… Shisui, hold still!”

“You said you like me,” Shisui whispers, blinking back tears. “Obito, when you left, earlier, I thought you were upset. I thought you _hated_ it, I thought you were gonna tell everyone that I was weird for liking you, and that I was gross, and—“

“Woah! Woah, slow down!”

Shisui babbles on like he’s helpless to stop.

“…and then everyone would think I’m some kind of _freak_ , and then I wouldn’t have any friends, Obito, I already only have like five friends, what if I _lost_ them, what if I couldn’t talk to Itachi anymore! Uncle Fugaku would…”

He seems terrified, to the point of panicky, so Obito grabs his face in both hands and shuts him up with a kiss.

Shisui squirms for an instant before melting against him, shuddering into Obito’s warm hands. Obito doesn’t care what the hell anyone else thinks. Shisui on top of him feels like all the world’s right again. His younger cousin relaxes into the touch, blinking slowly before letting his eyes fall shut, and leaning in to the kiss. Obito takes his time coaxing Shisui, kissing the fervor out of him and stealing his breath. He keeps it as PG as possible, one hand steadying Shisui’s waist, the other cupping the back of his head to guide their kiss, just holding the other boy against him gently while they touch.

Once he’s a little more mellow and relaxed, Obito breaks the kiss and lets them both up for air. Shisui’s pretty face is pink for him, and his lips look delicious. Obito can’t help coming back to kiss the corners of his cousin’s mouth, again and again, until Shisui turns away with a flustered sound.

“Obito I’m not a girl, don’t peck me.”

“I know you’re not a girl,” Obito says with a snicker, “Your dick’s trying to stab me in the thigh.”

There’s some rustling, and Shisui adjusts himself accordingly. Obito cocks an eyebrow at his younger cousin.

“So. You liked that, huh?”

“How can you tell,” Shisui deadpans, again shifting his weight in an attempt to conceal his hard-on. Obito offers a grin and Shisui goes soft for it, cheeks pinking up, breath catching audibly. Obito can almost hear his erection straining in his pants.

A little out of pity, or empathy, or whatever, Obito sits them up so they can actually talk.

He notices the way Shisui’s eyes track down to his own lap and widen.

“ _Oh_. Uh… so… you liked it, too?”

Obito cocks an eyebrow, daring him to continue that line of thought. Shisui swallows and says nothing else.

“Look. Here’s the thing. I do like you. I like you a lot. I don’t know if it’s love, or destiny, or whatever, I really like you... But you’re still fourteen.”

“I’m turning fifteen soon,” Shisui says grumpily, sensing where this conversation is headed.

Obito ruffles his wild hair.

“Fifteen is still a little young for what I think you want to do.”

He enjoys the way Shisui’s cheeks go bright.

There’s a funny twist to the younger boy’s lips, before he asks, “Don’t you want to, too? I thought… I thought you liked me.”

“I do. I just don’t wanna have sex with a kid.”

“I’m not a kid!”

“You’re a kid by law, and you’ll be a kid, by law, until you’re at least sixteen,” Obito points out. “A lot can change in two years.”

Shisui glares at him, and Obito catches a flicker of Sharingan-red in his black eyes.

“Didn’t I say already? I’m an Uchiha, too! I know what it means, for us to fall in love—I don’t care about being old enough!”

“Wrong answer,” Obito says firmly, “Try again.”

The younger man falters, despite his firm conviction. He withdraws a little, obviously thinking. When it clicks, Obito can see it on his face. Shisui looks back up, determined as ever, and Obito feels a smile as he changes his declaration.

“I’m an Uchiha, too. Two years is nothing to me.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am! Obito!”

“So,” Obito drawls, reaching up and catching his cousin’s hand in his own, “An Uchiha, you say? Heard they’re pretty famous for the way they love.” Shisui’s annoyed demeanor changes at once, eyes fixed on where Obito has caught his hand, cheeks flushing slowly as he speaks. “I heard it’s the kind of love they write fairy tales about. The kind of love that lasts forever, that can endure any hardship… I hear tell that it’s one-of-a-kind. Know anything about that?”

“I do,” Shisui whispers, enchanted.

Obito offers his younger cousin a charming smile.

“Want to show me?”

Eyes sparkling, Shisui nods, and comes in close for another kiss. He stops short and frowns slightly.

“But… I thought you just said…”

“I’m not having sex with a kid,” Obito says firmly. Then, with a waggle of his eyebrows, “There’s plenty of things we can do that _aren’t_ sex, in the meantime. Want to learn one or two?”

Shisui nods, face aflame, and comes when Obito pulls him closer to kiss.

+

Meanwhile, across town, Namikaze Minato marvels at his youngest student.

“Boyfriends?”

Hatake Kakashi, not trusting his mouth as nerves twist his tongue, only nods curtly in reply. He looks down to where he’s got Sensei’s hand in his, and makes a fervent promise to himself to murder Obito, messily, leaving as much evidence as possible so everyone will know who did it, if this fails.

 _Just grab his hand and tell him you’re dating,_ Obito had said.

So, he’d walked over, yanked Sensei’s hand into his, and declared they were a couple.

It had taken every ounce of nerve he possessed.

 _There is no way I’m doing something so embarrassing,_ he’d said.

 _Just try it,_ Obito had said back. _If Sensei likes you, he won’t say no, or if he doesn’t, then you’ll know for sure! Just try it! Trust me!_

If this doesn’t work out, he’s never trusting his stupid, idiot, brainless best friend ever again.

“You want to date me?”

Kakashi still can’t meet his teacher’s gaze.

His throat feels stuck, thick, and instead of speaking he nods his head, wondering if this is what it feels like to die from shame.

Why is he doing this? Humiliating himself, when he knows it’s no good? Sensei doesn’t like him like that, and even if he could, might, there’s so much risk to actually starting a relationship, and then the hand in his squeezes, gently, once, for his attention.

Kakashi looks up slowly.

The Hokage’s eyes smile at him.

“People will talk.”

Kakashi stares.

_That’s not a no._

“I don’t care,” he blurts out, because he doesn’t, and because Sensei hasn’t made him let go of their hands—because Sensei’s eyes get _brighter_ , and his smile _grows_ , and Kakashi can’t believe his eyes as he takes in the cautious way Minato looks down at him.

_It’s not rejection._

It’s not outright acceptance, but it’s already more than he’d hoped for. His heart climbs up out of his chest, into his throat, so his voice croaks a little when he repeats himself. “Sensei, I don’t care—people are going to talk, no matter who you date.”

Minato makes a thoughtful little sound, then, and squeezes his hand again.

“I don’t have much free time. Between training you and Obito and Rin, our missions, and my duties, there isn’t much time I get to myself. Not particularly.”

Again, not rejection. Just a statement that Kakashi clearly reads as ‘ _we won’t be able to spend much time together.’_

What’s the right answer here? Does Sensei want him to come on full force, declaring his love or something? Should he be respectful and back off? Kakashi racks his brain, quickly, aware that Sensei’s acceptance or rejection of his proposal may be riding on him giving the best response.

Sensei is an adult. He wouldn’t want a child, selfishly demanding all his time. At the same time, it takes time to build a relationship, to get to know someone.

He can’t have both. But he needs a little bit of both.

“We can compromise,” Kakashi decides, bold, on his last nerve and trying not to show it. “I know you have all those responsibilities. I can wait until you can make time.”

“You don’t mind that we can’t be together all the time?”

His stomach flip-flops at the phrasing, because it implies that Sensei is considering them being together some of the time.

He can’t keep the tremble out of his hand, try as he might, and doesn’t trust his voice again. He nods.

Anxiety eats away at him from the inside. He’s consumed by it. Nerves have never been a problem before. He’s not squeamish, not jittery, can give a report covered in blood, can deal with body parts and foul odors, but waiting for Sensei to make up his mind and give a concrete answer, a firm yes or no now, is driving him out of his mind. His skin feels prickly with anticipation, his palms are starting to sweat. When he takes a breath in, it’s shaky. His heart is pounding so loud. Sensei _must_ be able to hear it.

What happened to his cool? He was confident, before, but now he’s a wreck.

There’s movement that catches his attention. Sensei’s hand in his starts to slide, but it holds on, not letting go, and Kakashi finds himself being dragged forward, and he comes with stumbling steps, right up until he’s in front of Minato.

The Yondaime’s smile is shy as he pulls his student close.

Kakashi stares as he goes, wide-eyed, until he ends up pressed into Minato’s chest.

“Are you sure it’s _me_ you want? You could have this with anyone, you know? You’re a handsome young man. I know Rin has a crush on you. If you just talk to her, she’d gladly take up some of your time.

He’s giving him an easy out— _but he’s doing it all wrong_ , Kakashi realizes. Minato should have tried harder if he wanted Kakashi to just give up. Instead the older man has him wrapped up in a hug, arms locked around his student’s waist as if he means to keep him, and Kakashi reaches to return the grip, hugging Minato’s body to his own, looking up to his teacher’s face with fresh determination.

“I don’t want just anyone, Sensei.”

Amazingly, approval flashes in those ocean-blue eyes.

The shy smile returns, small but growing, and Kakashi stares in disbelief.

They’re both hailed as geniuses, prodigies, master tacticians.

Right now, Kakashi thinks the both of them are dumb as bricks.

“I like you,” he says needlessly, pressed right up against Minato’s body, hugged against the other man’s chest.

“I don’t dislike you,” Minato says back, and while that’s not particularly thrilling to heart, there’s a growing pink to his cheeks that makes Kakashi’s heart pound faster in his throat. “Only, I’m much older, Kakashi. Wouldn’t you prefer someone your age?”

“Are you listening, Sensei? I don’t want just anyone.”

Minato can read between the lines just as well as any shinobi and blushes as he deciphers Kakashi’s meaning: _I want **you** , Sensei._

Kakashi tastes success as he feels Minato adjust himself to hide his reaction to that statement.

Emboldened, Kakashi steps forward to follow him, pressing an insistent thigh in, and relishing the way the older man jumps at the sudden pressure brushing against him.

Minato takes a step back. Kakashi takes another step forward, never letting go, following his teacher back to the desk, where he has to stop or risk upsetting the huge piles of paperwork. The younger man leans in, cheeks growing rosy as he chases the suggestion of his teacher’s arousal.

There’s two hands that reach up to stop him. Kakashi stops, then, when Minato makes it very clear he’s pushing too much.

He mumbles a quiet apology and backs off. The blonde watches him with warm cheeks, and Kakashi is gratified to see his breathing is a little uneven.

Sensei wants him back.

Or he’s at least turned on.

Either option sends a thrill down his spine.

“There is a time and place for such things,” Minato says, and the tone of his voice categorizes the words as a warning, “This is neither.”

Kakashi apologizes again, but Minato interrupts him halfway through.

“I think a proper time for such activities would chronologically come after a date or two.”

Those ocean blue eyes watch him expectantly.

Kakashi does his best not to fuck this up, because Sensei just gave him a very clear opportunity to ask him out on a date.

“You don’t have a ton of free time, but I have some mission pay saved up, and I know you like ramen. Even the Hokage has to eat, sometime.”

Minato’s mouth quirks, like he’s struggling not to smile too big. Kakashi does his best not to celebrate outside his brain, waiting for Sensei’s reply.

“Ramen sounds nice. Tonight?”

“After training,” Kakashi agrees, trying not to sound too breathless with anticipation, excitement, joy, rapture, holy fuck they’re going on a date.

“After training,” Minato echoes, a smile in his eyes and on his lips. “It’s a date.”


End file.
